When I decided to run for School Board in the West Chester Area School District, I knew that some people would not support my platform of fully reopening schools, keeping them open, and providing every student with an equal opportunity to  get an education. However, what I did not expect was the level of disrespect and unprofessional behavior that has occurred.  I welcome the opportunity to dialogue and discuss and even disagree in a respectful manner. I invite this type of dialogue with real people in person or over the phone, and instead, I am attacked relentlessly on social media by nameless or fabricated people.  

Growing up as an adopted, Hispanic child of white parents, I experienced the type of “double consciousness,” that W.E.B. Dubois described in 1903 as an internal conflict experienced by subordinated groups of people in an oppressive environment. As a teenager, I encountered this duality on a daily basis.  White people did not see me as white, and Hispanics did not see me as Hispanic. I was never really sure where I fit in.  Even in the West Chester School District, I was treated as an outsider. 

Now, more than  20 years later, I am experiencing similar racial strife in our community — this time perpetrated by radical online groups. 

First, some locals, who seem to be beset by the all-too-common ailment of infusing national political and cultural conflict into every aspect of our lives, made false accusations against me regarding my support of transgender children. Their ravings are not based in truth. I firmly believe that transgender children should have all the same rights as any other child, because that’s what they are. My only concern, which I believe is shared by most people in my school district and beyond, is fairness for young women when it comes to athletics. 

Currently, young female athletes only receive 30% of all scholarship money in the United States of America.  Biological females should not have to compete with biological males in their sports leagues or for that small sum of scholarship money. Such unequal treatment is why leagues for women were created in the first place. As someone who was treated badly for being different as a child (and apparently still is by prejudiced adults), I believe both in being kind to transgender students and that fairness demands that we give biological girls the equal opportunity to compete in sports. 

Now, more than  20 years later, I am experiencing similar racial strife in our community — this time perpetrated by radical online groups. 

Secondly, my opponents have made the unfortunate decision to sully our local school board election, which should be focused on our children’s education, with the conspiratorial battle over the 2020 election. I do not think that either my or my opponent’s personal opinions on national politics have any place in the school system. Yet, some locals who choose wade around the internet anonymously have injected an easily falsifiable fiction about me relating to the detestable January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol. 

I did travel on a bus to Washington that day with my local prayer group, but I was not near the Capitol, nor was I even in the city at the time of the riots. I only learned of the riots while travelling home. 

Over the last year, there have been protests and rallies for many reasons, and we are fortunate to live in a country that allows peaceful and respectful assembly.  Unfortunately, January 6 is not the only example of protests becoming violent. Our country has seen a great deal of violent protests over the last year; however, that should not invalidate our ability to assemble. The majority of people who protest and rally, no matter their partisan affiliation, are good people with good intentions, and their behavior reflects that. But those who choose to act poorly or violently should be condemned and prosecuted for their behavior.

My platform focuses on equitable and positive outcomes for all children in our community, in addition to fiscal accountability and transparency.  

I am running for School Board because I am passionate about helping our children get back on track both emotionally and academically after a year of mostly virtual instruction. I believe that schools should be open 100% of the time for families that want that option. My platform focuses on equitable and positive outcomes for all children in our community, in addition to fiscal accountability and transparency.  

My opponent voted three out of three times to keep schools closed over the last year, despite the disproportionate academic impact those closures had on our low-income and minority students.  I am fully committed to keeping our schools open, ending overly restrictive quarantine policies, catching up our students who have experienced learning loss, and helping our schools get back to normal. I sincerely believe that my platform reflects the beliefs of most voters in the West Chester Area School District. If you are one of them, I hope you will consider voting for me. I pledge to work tirelessly for our children.

Ada Nestor is a Hispanic mother of three children and is running for School Board in Region 1 of the West Chester Area School District.